Crowded House Album: “Temple of Low Men”

Look there is always going to be those that argue over which crowded house album is the best, they made 4 great albums.

I divide this into two, Woodface and Crowded house have the best singles but Together and Temple are the better albums, more cohesive units and singles sell albums so this is why they are the lowest selling of the 4 albums

Temple is amazing, how could capitol let this fall through the cracks (a quote from the boss B Springsteen)The album is brimming with great songs (Love this life, in the lowlands, sister madly) hell the whole lot.

I still believe to this day if the right singles were released from this album it would have been as big as the Joshua tree (Singles, In the lowlands, never be the same and Into Temptation) When you come and better be home are good songs but not the dynamic singles that radio stations play

I own nearly 3000 cd's in my collection ranging from Eminem to Joni Mitchell to Neil Finn to Kieth Urban and let me tell you this album is my favourite cd amongst the lot. For these reasons

1.It features Neil's best song (Into Temptation)The string bit sends me away in the clouds

2.The harmonies are amazing from Paul and Nick

3.Songwriting and lyrics from the heart

4.Fantastic from Start to finish

Go and buy this record it is amazing

There aren't too many perfect pop/rock records: this is one of them (it belongs on the same shelf as Revolver, OK Computer, Hunky Dory, Superfly....). All ten songs are great and, as with the other masterpieces mentioned, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. The album *sounds* unlike anything else ever released, and the songs collectively conjure up their own very specific, haunting and haunted landscape. A "ghost car on the freeway" of the 80's to use one of Neil Finn's stunning images, _Temple_ is a cd to live with, to always have with you on a long drive, and should you be banished to a desert island....

Listeners who thought Crowded House would follow up their eponymous release with something as light and poppy as "Something So Strong" were not prepared for the strong, brooding tracks from Temple of Low Men. This is a relentlessly dark album from the opening strains of "I Feel Possessed" to the weary closing plea of "Better Be Home Soon." The stunner "Into Temptation" sets the tone as strings give way to gentle brushwork by drummer Paul Hester. Neil Finn crafts a simple acoustic melody that aches with both beauty and sadness. The word "Beatlesque" keeps popping up in Crowded House reviews like a unruly cowlick on class picture day. Temple of Low Men proves that Neil Finn and company don't need to be compared, they need to be heard.

This album was labelled "dark" when it first came out, but that label shows a critic(al) lack of imagination. This album is incredible. It's more cohesive than Woodface, more mature than Crowded House (the first album), and has the perfect balance of pop music and angsty lyrics. Sister Madly, Never Be The Same, Into Temptation, Better Be Home Soon, and When You Come are classics!

Neil Finn rightly has a reputation as a crafter of eminently hummable, infectious pop/rock tunes, and this, Crowded House's sophomore effort, is a fine showcase for his (and the band's) ample talents.

This set explores, to a greater degree than any other CH album, the breadth of human emotion inherent in relationships, from fear to ardor to longing, covering virtually every possible variation in between. The writing is crisp and beautiful, the playing simultaneously delicate and energetic.

The album's high points include the passionate "When You Come," one of those Finn songs that manages to be both about, and not about, sexual desire; "Never Be The Same," a thoughtful reflection on mortality, and the yearning apprehensiveness of "In The Lowlands."

Even the weaker tracks, such as "Kill Eye" (which can be a bit grating after time), are still far more interesting than the filler found on the albums of lesser artists.

If you are searching for the perfect pop/rock set, I would recommend Finn's solo debut,

; nonetheless, this album will make a fine addition to any CD collection and is a must for all CH fans.